Dahlia plant named ‘Picardie’

ABSTRACT

A distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named ‘Picardie’ characterized by its upright, uniformly mounded and compact plant habit; freely branching habit, full and dense plants; continuous and freely flowering during the spring until fall; full inflorescences with multiple rows of ray florets; bright yellow-clored ray florets with bright yellow-colored disc florets; and excellent garden and patio container performance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Dahliaplant, botanically known as Dahlia variabilis, commercially referred toas a pot-type Dahlia, and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar namePicardie.

The new Dahlia is a product of a planned breeding program conducted bythe Inventor in Hillegom, The Netherlands. The objective of the breedingprogram is to create new pot-type Dahlia cultivars with desirableinflorescence form, attractive colors, and good garden performance.

The new Dahlia originated from a cross made by the Inventor in 1995 oftwo unidentified proprietary Dahlia variabilis seedling selections. Thenew Dahlia was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a singleflowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross grown in acontrolled environment in Hillegom, The Netherlands. The selection ofthis plant was based on its desirable inflorescence form and attractivefloret colors.

Asexual reproduction of the new Dahlia by vegetative tip cuttings wasfirst conducted in Hillegom, The Netherlands in 1996. Asexualreproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this newDahlia are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Picardie has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature, daylength and lightintensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Picardie’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Picardie’ as a new and distinct pot-typeDahlia:

1. Upright, uniformly mounded and compact plant habit.

2. Freely branching, full and dense plants.

3. Continuous and freely flowering during the spring until fall.

4. Full inflorescences with multiple rows of ray florets.

5. Bright yellow-colored ray florets with bright yellow-colored discflorets.

6. Excellent garden and patio container performance.

Plants of the new Dahlia differ from plants of the parent selections andDahlia cultivars known to the Inventor primarily in ray floretcoloration and its freely flowering habit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearanceof the new Dahlia showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description which more accurately describe the actual colorsof the new Dahlia. The photograph comprises a side perspective view of atypical flowering plant of ‘Picardie’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The RoyalHorticultural Society Colour Chart except where general terms ofordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observationsand measurements describe plants grown and flowered during the springand summer in Keller, Tex., under outdoor conditions which approximatethose generally used in commercial production. One rooted cutting wasplanted in a 12.5-cm container and pinched twice. Measurements andnumerical values represent averages of typical flowering plants about 10weeks after planting.

Botanical classification: Dahlia variabilis cultivar Picardie.

Commercial classification: Pot-type Dahlia.

Parentage:

Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary Dahlia variabilis seedlingselection, not patented.

Male, or pollen, parent.—Proprietary Dahlia variabilis seedlingselection, not patented.

Propagation:

Type.—Terminal tip cuttings.

Time to rooting.—About seven to ten days with soil temperatures of 21°C.

Root description.—Fine, fibrous and well-branched; development of tubershas not been observed.

Plant description:

Appearance.—Herbaceous pot-type Dahlia. Inverted triangle; stems mostlyupright and somewhat outwardly spreading giving a uniformly moundedappearance to the plant; relatively compact. Freely branching, lateralbranches develop at every node after removal of terminal apex(pinching); dense and full plants. Vigorous.

Plant height.—To top of leaf plant: About 25 cm. To top ofinflorescences plane: About 29.5 cm.

Plant width or area of spread.—About 30 cm.

Lateral branches.—Internode length: About 2.3 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.Strength: Strong, very flexible. Texture: Very smooth, glabrous, glossy.Color: 146A.

Foliage description.—Arrangement: Leaves single or compound andtrifoliate. Length: Compound leaves: About 3.8 cm. Terminal leaflet:About 3.4 cm. Single leaves: About 4 cm. Width: Compound leaves: About4.2 cm. Terminal leaflet: About 2.1 cm. Single leaves: About 2.4 cm.Shape: Ovate. Apex: Acute to cuspidate. Base: Obtuse. Margin: Dentatewith ciliation. Texture: Smooth, glabrous, leathery. Venation pattern:Pinnate. Color: Young foliage upper surface: 147A. Young foliage lowersurface: 147B. Mature foliage upper surface: 147A. Mature foliage lowersurface: Close to 147B. Venation, upper surface: Close to 147B.Venation, lower surface: Close to 147B to 147C. Petiole length: Compoundleaves: About 2.1 cm. Single leaves: About 1.6 cm. Petiole diameter:Compound leaves: About 3 mm. Single leaves: About 2 mm. Petiole color:146B to 146C.

Inflorescence description:

Appearance.—Terminal and axillary inflorescences held above the foliageon strong flexible peduncles. Composite inflorescence form withelongated oblong-shaped ray florets and disc florets massed at thecenter; ray and disc florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum. Notfragrant.

Flowering response.—Plants flower continuous and freely from the springthrough the fall.

Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color andsubstance for about one or two weeks in an outdoor environment dependenton temperature.

Quantity of inflorescences.—About 32 open inflorescences and buds perplant.

Inflorescence bud (just before opening).—Shape: Spherical to ovoid.Height: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 6 mm. Color: Close to 154A.

Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.2 cm. Depth (height): About 1.3cm. Diameter of disc: About 1.1 cm.

Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated-oblong. Orientation: Initially upright,outer florets perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Straight, convex.Length: About 1.5 cm. Width: About 8 mm. Apex: Acute. Base: Attenuate;short corolla tube. Margin: Entire. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Number ofray florets per inflorescence: About 32 in about two rows. Color: Whenopening, upper surface: Bright yellow, close to 9A. When opening, lowersurface: Close to 9B. Fully opened, upper surface: Bright yellow, closeto 9A. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 9B.

Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed. Length:About 5.5 mm. Width: Apex, about 1.5 mm; base, about 1 mm. Number ofdisc florets per inflorescence: About 66. Color: Immature: 154A. Mature:Apex: 9A. Base: 155D.

Involucral bracts.—Length: About 7 mm. Width: About 3.5 mm. Shape:Spatulate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture: Waxy, leathery,somewhat fleshy. Number per inflorescence: About 10 to 12. Color, bothsurfaces: 146A.

Peduncles.—Length, terminal inflorescence: About 3.8 cm. Diameter: About2 mm. Strength: Strong, very flexible. Color: 144A.

Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets only. Number ofstamens per floret: One. Stamen length: Less than 1 mm. Stamen color:White. Anther color: 9A to 12A. Pollen amount: Pollen production has notbeen observed. Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Numberof pistils per floret: One. Pistil length: Less than 1 mm. Color:Yellow.

Seed production.—Seed production has not been observed.

Disease resistance: Resistance to pathogens common to Dahlias has notbeen observed on plants grown under commercial greenhouse or outdoorconditions.

Weather tolerance: Plants of the new Dahlia have heen observed to bewind and rain-tolerant. Plants of the new Dahlia tolerant temperaturesfrom 1° to 40° C.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Dahlia plant named‘Picardie’, as illustrated and described.